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Monk Improvements
Topic Started: Aug 20 2011, 02:57 PM (791 Views)
Andros414
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I'm currently looking for ways to improve my Human Monk character short of doing a TR. I prefer a STR-focused build, but I haven't neglected CON or WIS (I know WIS affects my Shintao Strike DCs, but I don't use them often). I usually stay in Grandmaster Earth stance for the added damage, HP, and DR but resort to Grandmaster Fire stance in some epics for the added STR to boost my to-hit.

Base Stats
STR 16
DEX 15
CON 16
INT 8
WIS 12
CHA 8
All level-up points in STR
Full set of +2 Tomes
Single WIS +3 tome


Skill Ranks
Balance 23
Concentration 23
Heal 4
Hide 7
Jump 23
Listen 4
Move Silently 7
Spot 10
Tumble 1

Feats
Dodge
Greater Two Weapon Fighting
Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Luck of Heroes
Power Attack
Stunning Fist
Toughness x3
Two Weapon Fighting

Enhancements
Monk Serenity
Human Adaptability CON I
Human Improved Recovery I
Way of the Patient Tortoise I-IV
Fists of Iron
Monk Improved Recovery I-III
Shintao Monk I-III
Void Strike I
Grandmaster of Mountains
Grandmaster of the Sun
Racial Toughness I-III
Improved Balance I-II
Improved Concentration I-III
Improved Hide I
Monk Wisdom I-III


I don't really have top-tier gear, but do make use of a few good items:
Mineral II Greensteel Helm
Shintao Cord
Tharne's Goggles
Dragontouched Vestments (Eldritch - Resistance +5, Tempest - Magma Surge Guard, Sovereign - Radiance Guard)
Epic Treasure Hunter's Spyglass (Toughness slotted)
Epic Cloak of Night
Belt of the Defenders of Siberys (as a CON/GFL item)
Jidz-Tet'ka
Bramble-Casters (Looking to possibly get a pair of Epic Spectral Gloves for the additional +4 To-hit)
Draconic Ring (ToD - Holy Burst crafted)
Morgana's Ring (ToD - similar effects as Kyosho's, which I am currently farming for)
Handwraps (I usually use my Epic Wraps of Endless Night from Mabar, but switch to Icy Bursted +1 Holy wraps of Greater Evil Outsider Bane against devils/demons and Icy Bursted +3 Axiomatic Burst wraps of Enfeebling against Epic Velah.)


Right now, the biggest thing I can see doing a Lesser Reincarnation for is to reset my skills, so I feel like I'm missing something that could be obvious to someone else. Thoughts or recommendations?
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Maes
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Zergalicious
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Well, I would stop putting points into jump at about 15 ranks and bump up spot personally. I am also not a fan of luck of heroes, not sure what to put there instead. Maybe combat expertise if you have a decent ac.
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Maes
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Zergalicious
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Just thought of it. Weapon focus bludgeon would be better for the +1 to hit
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Andros414
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None of my builds are concerned with AC except in low levels where it's easier to obtain a useful number.

Weapon Focus would probably be nice, but I can't give up Luck of Heroes for it. It's one of the feat pre-requisites for the Shintao Monk PrE (Cleave, Combat Expertise, Diehard, Discipline, Luck of Heroes, Precision, Resilience, Self Sufficient).

If I have to give up a feat, I'd be more willing to lose one Toughness. I have 3 of them and with my current gear/enhancements/etc, I sit at 601hp, while I can hit 701hp with a +2 CON ship buff, Rage (spell/pot), and a double-Madstone Rage (but I don't really use my Madstone Boots since it blocks my Monk finishers).
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Maes
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Zergalicious
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I would rather have the HP over the +1 to hit. Do you use stunning fist a lot? Maybe swapping a toughness for stunning blow, to have two stunning moves. Having to keep luck of the heroes, your feat list looks pretty good.
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Samius
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Andros414
Aug 21 2011, 03:35 PM
None of my builds are concerned with AC except in low levels where it's easier to obtain a useful number.

Weapon Focus would probably be nice, but I can't give up Luck of Heroes for it. It's one of the feat pre-requisites for the Shintao Monk PrE (Cleave, Combat Expertise, Diehard, Discipline, Luck of Heroes, Precision, Resilience, Self Sufficient).

If I have to give up a feat, I'd be more willing to lose one Toughness. I have 3 of them and with my current gear/enhancements/etc, I sit at 601hp, while I can hit 701hp with a +2 CON ship buff, Rage (spell/pot), and a double-Madstone Rage (but I don't really use my Madstone Boots since it blocks my Monk finishers).
Cleave would be a better call for your Shintao pre-requisites the luck of heroes. The changes to Cleave are real good.

With that said why do you have Dodge? Is it required for some reason?


As for skills 11 ranks in umd can do a lot. Not for in fight healing necessarily but you could get your own Gh or firesheild easily. Rezes shouldn't be an issue and if you wanted you could do your own heals but i don't think i would bother going for no fail heal scrolls but a 75%- 80% not in fight should be easy.



I would say look at Tobril's monk http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=279133

We are the last line of Defense. Defenseguild.net home of the Samius Times, Samius's blog on the whatevers of the day.

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Andros414
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How has Cleave changed? I can't think of moments it would help since I'm never really surrounded by mobs.

Dodge was chosen because I had an extra feat at the time and couldn't decide on anything. Not sure whether it was a Monk bonus feat or normal level-up feat selection. ^^;

UMD is always a possibility. I was mainly considering putting 11 ranks into Haggle.

Thanks for the link. It'll give me something to look over. I'll have to adjust for being Human instead of Halfling, though.
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Samius
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Cleave no longer breaks the attack chain or at least as badly. So you can cleave and then keep swinging with no sec or so break in the action. Is +1 to saves that great for you? Mr, all good saves? Make a new monk and use the vet status to jump to lvl 4 but take cleave and play with it. I think you will see a difference.
We are the last line of Defense. Defenseguild.net home of the Samius Times, Samius's blog on the whatevers of the day.

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Andros414
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Lol. My saves are not that good. GM Fire stance is Fort 26, Ref 21, Will 24 and GM Earth stance is Fort 28, Ref 20, Will 25. That's with Luck of Heroes and a Resistance +5 item (Eldritch Rune on my DT Vestments).
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Andros414
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Starting to consider just TR'ing and saving my Lesser Heart.

Since I don't stun or depend on my shintao strikes, I wonder if I can get by with dumping WIS. Starting with something like 18/15/16/8/8/8 on a 34-pt. human.
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